The aviation industry has been severely impacted by the challenges COVID-19 pandemic has brought to every area of the network. With the drastic reduction in air traffic, there have been increases in wildlife activities in the vicinity of aerodromes, with wildlife locating within aerodromes and even inside, aircraft.
ICAO’s global strategy for addressing wildlife hazards to aviation includes:
- increasing international awareness of the wildlife strike threat to aircraft operational safety and the development of guidance material
- strengthening the implementation of ICAO SARPs on wildlife control and reduction
- an exchange of best practices for wildlife management programmes and techniques
- exploring new technologies to minimize the risk of wildlife strikes
- enhancing of wildlife strike reporting
- developing global strategies to address wildlife strike hazards
Recognizing the need for continuous wildlife hazard management (WHM) awareness amid the pandemic, and to coincide with the release of Amendment 3 to Doc 9981 PANS-Aerodromes which contains a new chapter on WHM, ICAO’s APAC Office is planning a webinar on WHM for Civil Aviation Authorities and Aerodrome Operators in the APAC States, which will be delivered in the second half of 2020. Further information will be communicated to APAC States in the near future.
Established by a decision of the Second Meeting of the Aerodrome Operations and Planning Working Group (AOP/SG/2), the Asia/Pacific Wildlife Hazard Management Working Group is working to assist States in establishing a National Wildlife Hazard Management Committee and a National Wildlife Hazard Reduction Programme.
The Working Group has developed a model composition and a model Terms of Reference of National Wildlife Hazard Management Committee. Both documents are available in ICAO APAC Electronic Documents webpage. The Working Group has also issued a survey questionnaire to the APAC States, so as to better understand the issues faced by States and to determine the prioritized actions to provide assistance to States as required.